California Teacher Dies from Rabies After Classroom Bat Encounter

Leah Seneng, a 60-year-old art teacher, contracted the rare but fatal disease after being bitten by a bat she tried to remove from her classroom in October.

• Leah Seneng, a middle school art teacher in Dos Palos, California, died on November 22 after contracting rabies from a bat bite in mid-October.
• Rabies cases are extremely rare in the U.S., with fewer than 10 deaths annually, but the disease is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
• Seneng initially believed the bat she encountered in her classroom was dead and attempted to remove it, at which point it bit or scratched her.
• Health officials confirmed the rabies diagnosis in mid-November after Seneng exhibited symptoms, which included brain dysfunction and other severe effects.
• Authorities urge the public to avoid contact with wild animals, especially bats, and to seek immediate medical care after any potential exposure to rabies.

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